Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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99. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she has received a pre-budget submission from an organisation (details supplied) outlining its various proposals and recommendations; if so, her views on these proposals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38772/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Government acknowledges the crucial role that family carers play in Irish life and is fully committed to supporting carers in their role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for a Partnership Government and the National Carers’ Strategy. It is also reflected in the fact that my Department expects to spend in the region of €1.2 billion during 2018 on providing supports to carers and their families.

I have received the pre-Budget submission referred to by the Deputy and can confirm that it is being considered as part of the overall budgetary process within my Department. I should also say that there are a number of proposals in the pre-budget submission fall outside of the immediate responsibility of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection to other Departments and offices.

In order to learn of and assess priorities of representative bodies, as well as giving consideration to pre-Budget submissions, my Department normally hosts an annual pre-Budget Forum which representative bodies attend. Furthermore, my Department engages regularly with carers’ representative groups and also hosts the Annual Carers’ Forum to review progress under the National Carers Strategy.

Issues such as extending allowances or increasing means test thresholds are discussed at these events. This engagement has helped inform some considerable improvements that have been introduced for carers in recent years. In Budget 2016, the Carer’s Support Grant was increased to €1,700 in addition to other measures benefitting carers including extending the period when CA can be paid following the death of a care recipient from 6 to 12 weeks. Budget 2017 introduced a measure that extends payment of CA for 12 weeks where the care recipient enters permanent residential care.

The pre-Budget Forum was held in Dublin Castle in July this year and it was an opportunity for me to meet with many groups from the community and voluntary sector, including carers representative groups and to gain a deeper insight into the issues they are most concerned about in the context of the upcoming budget.